Monday, April 20, 2009

Cinnamon Bear (OTRR Certified)

.

The Cinnamon Bear is an old time radio program. The program was produced by TRANSCO, the Transcription Company of America and specifically designed to be listened to (six days a week – excluding Sundays) between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was first broadcast between Friday, November 26, and Saturday December 25, 1937. The story focused on Judy and Jimmy Barton who must venture from their home to the enchanted world of Maybeland to recover their missing Silver Star that belongs on top of their Christmas tree. Helping on this quest for the missing star is The Cinnamon Bear, a stuffed bear with shoe button eyes and a green scarf. They meet other memorable characters on this quest, including the Crazy Quilt Dragon (who repeatedly tries to take the star for himself) , the Wintergreen Witch, Fe Fo the Giant, and even Santa Claus. The show was created by a group of merchants as an advertising promotion, and was recorded in a hurry in just a few weeks. It was produced by Lindsay MacHarrie (who also provided the voice of Westley the Whale and several other characters in the show). The voice of The Cinnamon Bear was done by Buddy Duncan, a little person, and several other notable radio voices lent their talents. These included Verna Felton (as Jimmy and Judy's mother), Joseph Kearns (as the Crazyquilt Dragon), Lou Merill (as Santa Claus), Howard McNear (as Slim Pickings the Cowboy and Samuel the Seal), Elvia Allman (as Penelope Pelican), Frank Nelson (Captain Tintop), and Gale Gordon (Weary Willie the Stork and Oliver Ostrich). Asian-American actress Barbara Jean Wong played Judy.